“Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind?”
The opening lyrics of the iconic New Year’s song got me thinking… Should we leave the past in the past and never think about it? So I kept reading and was incredibly moved by a later verse:
“For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne.
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne.”
That’s more like it.
The term “take a cup of kindness” refers to raising a glass to goodwill and the remembrance of good deeds. As moms, I would be willing to bet that there are a lot of us who need to raise a cup of kindness to ourselves a lot more often.
Looking back on this past year, many of us are still trying to process 2020, which is already two years ago. When you think about this past year, do you think about all of the things you did not accomplish, or do you focus on the wonderful memories made and the perseverance you embodied?
I would like to invite you to focus on the latter. Sure, I did not get all of the DIY projects done on my home, my linen closets are not organized, and I never did accomplish teaching my four-year-old to read. But my New Year’s resolution is to have more realistic expectations of myself, so instead of focusing on all of the things I did not get done, I am choosing to focus on the wonderful things I did accomplish and the memories made.
Some of the things from 2021 I would like to focus on are:
-Moving to our new home where we plan to stay for many years
-My kids starting back to a more normal social routine
-Starting to write as a Contributor for ACM
-Feeling comfortable taking my kids to indoor activities again
-Starting (even though I have not finished) a new certification to further my career
-Travelling to visit family again
-Watching my two-year-old expand her language and be able to communicate all her wants and needs
-Seeing the joy on my four-year-old’s face when she learned to write her own name and the names of our family members
Making your own list like mine above is a great way to get started! It will force you to identify things that are positive and give you a more grateful outlook on the new year.
In summary, skip the personal attacks on yourself about your exercise habits, your diet, your mistakes, or the things you never found time to do in 2021. Let’s resolve to be present and less hard on ourselves with our expectations—show ourselves a little more love and maybe even raise a cup o’ kindness to all the wonderful memories and relationships the new year can bring!
